The Sun. — London, England, 1808-09-22 00:00:00

NAVAL NEWS; PLYMOUTH, SEPT. 20.—Arrived a French Sloop (name unknown), laden with wheat, from St. Ma , loes, bound to Brest, captured on the I sth instan , near the Isle of Bas, by the Contest Gun-brig, afti r _ being deserted by her crew. Arrived the Hope, PYLE, from Quebec, with 'flans, &c. for the Dock-yard at this Port. Sailed . the Dragon, of 74 guns, to join the Chan nel Fleet ; Pallas, of 32 guns, on a cruize; and the Zan Cito.ye.a Sloop of War, for Lisbon, having on board Major DAL YMPLE, on his return to the Bli cish Army in, Portugal. The IPindsor Castle, of gs guns, came into har- bour this morning to be docked. PORTSMOUTH, SEPT. 2t.—Sailed the Copette Sloop of War, Captain FORBES, and Hardy Guti brig, Lieutenant DurroN, with a convoy, for Ply month. DEAL, SEPT. 2 1 .—Arrived several Transports from Harwich having on board the 76th, .gth, 43d, and part of the gsth reginlents ) for foreign service, and remain in the Downs with the Ships as per last -and several outward-bound.vessels from the River. FAL:daunt, SZPT. lg.—Arrived the Lord Len -120,r, WHITESIDEi, from London, for Cadiz; leaky ; also several other Vessels, to join the Fleet here, supposed for Spain. GREENOCK, SEPT. 19.--The Jane, WBRIDE (the only vessel in the Fleet for Clyde), arrived here yesterday from Jamaica. Sailed upon the 20th July, under convoy of the Adamant, Capt. MALBw4, with from 30 to 40 Sail. The Hopewell, KINNEAR, of Glasgow, was in the Fleet for London, and was spoke by Capt. M(BainE twelve days ago. Another convoy was appointed to sail the 31 st July. Capt. 31`13Ritut reports the country as being uncommonly sickly, EDINBURGH, SEPT. 19, On occasion of the intelligence from Portugal, the Flag was hoisted, not displayed, this morning in .tlie Castle—it clung close to the staff:—About 10 o'clock the great guns were fired—they sounded, to the general feeling, like minute .guns at a funeral. Yesterday the convoy for Gottenburgh and He ligoland, which sailed from Leith Roads on Friday, and the Ardent Man of War, were driven back by contrary At Falkirk Tryst, on Tuesday last, there was a great show of cattle : there being a number of pur chasers from F,ngland . in the market, the sale was remarkably quick, and the prices high. InYMOUTH, SEPT. 20. 'rim Balls and Concerts at the Royal Hotel con tinue to be well supported, and the town has ex perienced a considerable influx of company this Week. This town has never been more gay since their Majesties last honoured it with their presence. IMPERIAL THEATRE PARIS, • AUGUST 21, 1 SOB. , SIGNOR NAPOLEON BUONAPARTE, FROM CORSICA, Manager o/ all the Continental Theatres, ilas the honour to Inform the Inhabitants of Europe, that he has opened those of SPAIN and Pokru GAL, and that nu merous first-rate Performers are engaged. The principal Drama now exhibiting is entitled THE INVASION OF SPAIN AND PORTUGAL; Ott TREACHERY WELL DRUBBED. It a ' t 4 'very interesting (though horrible) Military Tragedy, 7 -nci r no p e nce "e has been spared in procuring the most able lc:Z ell " sustain the respeCtive Charaders, as the foi- Oramatir Per , will evince. Cceneral C utthroat, by Monsieur MURAT ; G e e n n Pillage, by Monsieur Duro wr ; cener e a r e i al ral Scamp, by Monsieur IizssIERES ; Carnage, by Monsieur LIT lava/ ; Generalnß Havoc, by Mo n sieur MOUNCEY ; • Geller era' --- . 43,neMonsieur "AJ , b y LHEsME ; °P lunder M'Slaughter, by Monsieur I ' , Nal . , Ai. And Ge renegade Irishman s „,,nera Sacrilege, by Monsieur Lots° N .Qrr io Assassins, by Aacts of equal respeelablay. lo WHICH WILL BR ADDED, A Grand Pantornimical Melo. Drame, called THE BANDITTI The Or, NOCTURNAL ROBBERS. pa.t of )(b ig Mushroom, by lOSEPH 13LiON PART E, who will astonish the Audience by fisfitg all the way lioni Ma drid to Bayonne without the aid of wi,,gs, and having all pockers filled with massy plate, obtain ed' by slight of band. Many other legerdemain tricks will be exhibited by the rest of the Company, who will sing the grand Chutus of "lrr tly by night," andrafterwards vanish an a midnight cloud. The whole to conclude with a Farce, called THE DOUBLE DECEPTION ; D Or, MONSIEUR FROG BLINEOLI::.-J ! 'n xitictt Signor Boos r A Rl' E a. 7 the principal part the other Cluraaers by the Meinberi of the French Se • ,n4te. Yive l'Emprreur Transports, with the first division of the. I")Patlish troops on board, arrived off Yarmouth on, * 4lle sclay. On the same day the troops embarli, at Harwich, which are t o f orm a p ar t o f th e Expe=l ( !itibh collecting at Falmouth, sailed with a tolerably tair wind.. The Spanish troops will probably ac company this Expedition in the first instance. • lalsrt CATiroLics.—lt is stated in a Dublin-Even tug Paper, that the two foll o wing Res o luti on s h ave be agreed to by the. Roman Catholic Prelates as s'2oable-il at present in Dublin : " That it is the decided opinion of the Roman Catholic • prelates of Ireland here assembled, that it is inexpedient to i!,troduce any alteration in the canonical mode hitherto oh. served in the nomination of Irish Roman Catholic Bisticips, 1111 ;ieh mode long experience has 'proved to be unexception wise, and salututy. --- " Thin the Roman Catholic Prelates pledge themselves to adhere to the rule by which they have been hitherto tv.ii lur"llY Kuided, namely,' to rec.Ortnnend to his' goliness only Such - persons as are of unitiveaclable royalty and pa:cable ‘onduCt. THE DREADFUL FIRE, CORONER'S INQUEST. - Yesterday an Inquisition was taken at the Bri tannia in Covent-garden, beftte ANTHONY_ CULL, Coroner for the City and Liberties of Westmin ster, on the bodies of the unfortunate persons killed: aethe fire which destroyed Covent-garden Theatre. 'olc2ll two o'clock the Coroner attended, and .the Jury were sworn. They then proceeded Co inspect the bodies. They went first and viewed that of Mr. James, lying at his lodgings, in York-street. — They then proceeded to St. Paul's Church, where they examined the bodies of eleven persons, viz. Richard Cadgill, J. Holmes; J. Hunt; Win. Jones, J. Evans, James Crab, T. Mead, Win. Wriggles , worth, and john Eilby, and two unknown. It is impossible to describe the situation of the bodies,' nearly burned to cinders, the flesh parted from the bones. The Coroner, who, from his situation, has been obliged to examine the bodies of many persons :killed by accident, declared he never witnessed any thing so horrid. At three o'clock they returned to .the Britannia. The first witness examined was William Addicott, one of the stage-carpenters of the Theatre. He stated, that be left the Theatre about half past I o'clock, and went home. AbOut four o'clock on Tuesday morning, Mr. Carmichael, a baker, rung at his bell, and informed him that the Theatre was on fire. He immediately got up, and hastened to the Theatre, which he found in a complete blaze. Shortly after several engines arrived, and. but few persons were colleaed on the spot. It was found impratlicable TO work the engine belonging to the Theatre at first. The Treasury door and the Piazza door were broke open, and one of the Phoenix fire engines was run up the passage, just withinside the Piazza door, where there was a large reservoir of water; upwards of twelve persons were working the engine, and just beyond them, further up the eas , sage, were several of the firemen; seeing that the 'tooth called the ApollO room, and the inside of the audience part of the Theatre was on fire, and likely to fall, in, the witness advised the men of their dan eq,,nbserving, that they must inevitably be burnt, ag the fire was rapidly approaching the Garden. Upon which the firemen sold the witness. " to lewd his own busineSs." To avoid the danger, the witness instantly left 'the place arid went round to the Bow-street door ; from what he had since un derstood, the fire, .as it was supposed, began about the centre of the house. He 'after wards was told several, Men had been killed by the lalling of the timbers, which happened shortly after" he glutted the Piazza door. This witness stated, that there was a Watchman regularly appointed to watch the interior -of the Theatre, but that when the alarm was first givett',- the people could not make him hear, and it was imagined he must have fallen asleep ; he how . everlafter wards escaped. Wu." Darby, one oi the firemen in the employ of the Eagle insurance Office, was present when the unfortunate persons were taken out of the fire.— When he firt arrived at the Theatre, the engine worked at Bow-street side of the douse. This was about six o'clOck. ..Afterl.vards, on coming round to the Piazza side, be heard the crash, of a wall falling, this was near eight o'clock ; he immediately ran up to the door which leads to the boxes; the outer great doors were halt closed; he assiStod in clearing away the heavy wood which had fallen on the engine, and buried both it and the persons working it in burning ruins. Water-from buckets was thrown upon the ruins ; they then set about digging tor the dead bodies, and half an hourelaPsed before they could get at them ; the first they drew out was a man in his shirt; in another quarter, how , ever, they succeeded in getting out two more bo dies, and then drew out the engine, when they saw .Kiloy, the fireman, laying alongside the engine, and then one atter another drew out, in the whale, nitie dead bodies, when the witness, from fatigue, was obliged to quit the place. He understood that some more were afterwards taken out. This was the substance of the evidence to sheW the Manner in which the unfortunate perions came by their deaths. Addicott was asked, as to there being gunpowder in the Heine, it haling been reported that several explosions were heard ; but' he, as Well. as other persons belonging to the Theatre, to the satisfac tion of the Jury, stated, that there Was not more . than three pounds weight on the premi s e s , an d t hat was kept in.a cellar distioa from the Theatre. Jary,• upon 010, whole of the evidence, re .turned. a verdit, thaf - the fonbmilrig per Ons, viz. . • • . R.,; Cadger, , I. Crabb, I. H I Holmes, T.•• Mead I 1.. Hunt, ' W. Wriggi.csworth, W.. luaus, . I. Kilby, and I. 4 v ap,.. Thomas lames, , And two others (names unknown), in all twelve per,- sons, write, billed « Accidentally by .the falling of the Apallo•Rooni, at Covent-Garden,Theatre:" Another Tnqucst was yesterday evening held upon the bodies of John Sayers and John Beaumont, of the Phinix Office, the. latter of whom died yesterday morning • and ,Robert Hewett, a Gl az i er , b e l ong i ng to the iheatte. These three bodies were at Bar tholomew's Hospital. Twenty-four Jurymen were present. • William Henderson, a fireman 'belcinging to the Phomik Fire-Office, living in Little Carter-lane, Do6tors'-Commons, identified John Sayers, .aS be v lOnhin to his office. Witness stated, that, on Tues , OAy tinornlug last, he attended the fire at Covent 'rden Theatre, On the side of the Piazza ;he perceived the dobrs shut-to with' great violence ; he be4,d an explosion Of gun-powder, and a great crash, which proceeded from the falling of a stack orehimnies, which , brought down 'the areh, and buried a great number of persons under its ruins.— Witness assisted in getting out several of the un happy sufferers, whi,Lwere in a most dreadful state ; the bodies lay in different postures - --some . on their sides, with their legs drawn up; the flesh was burn ed off from several parts of their bodies. He assisted in conveying those who were first taken out to Mr. Huisou's, Surgeon, in James -street, Covent-Gar :4.o, who dressed their wounds. William Henderson, son to the above witness, -akt,' on Tuesday morning he was standing by the Phenix engine, which was under the Piazza, in C o vent-garden. Witness perceived a great body of smoke corning out of the Theatre-door, and a great number of prisons rUklllilltZ towards him. They hppeared to be ediniog d6t df the Th6tii; faces were covered with dirt. Witness ran away, and saw no more. Benjamin Brooks, belonging to the Plic'!nix 'Fire- OfEce, and living in Ivy-lane, identified Robert Hewitt, who was a bugle-inan belonging to the Duke of Cumberland's sharpshooters, and by trade a plumber and gh4ier. .Witneis stated, on Tues day m o rnin g last, about five o'clock, he attend ed with his engine at the Piazza (icor -of. Co vent-garden Theatre, and 'with the assistance of fourteen or fifteen of his comrades he got the en gine up the steps of the gateway, into the • passage, and took it close to. the tank, which was near .the archway on the right side of the , door. Several - other persons came in at the time; some fromrcu :riosity, and others to assist to work the There might be fifteen or sixteen people eti each • side of„it at work. One of them he noticed to be a butcher's boy. After having . played for some time, a carpenter belonging to the Theatre said to him, Do you know. what you are Working . under ? is our carpenter's shop, and it is in a body of fire." Witness removed the engine trbm that place, and „..went part of the way up the stairs, in order to see in What state the fire, Vas; the heat was 'So power ful, he carne down inimediately, and went out into the air to recover himself. Hewitt, the de -ceased, was at that time standing cruse to the door, inside of the passage. Witness - Instantly heard a great crash, as proceeding from the fall of a stack of chimnies, and, at the same . tithe, as he thought, the report of gunpowder. At that instant the deceaSed and several other persons were thrown oil the out side With great violence, and the door shut-to. He instantly proceeded, with the assistance of others, to. break open the door, and brought fitieenor sixteen 'persons out alive, but dreadfully scorched. He did not think the Men that were taken out ' had been shut in above five minutes. It was up wards of three hours before they could attempt effeCtually to remove the *rubbish, amongst which were several stoves. The engine was etitirely con sumed, and near the place where it stood were eleven dead bodies; laid in two or three different - piles, fohn'Beaumont, the - third perion, had been identified by his fr:ends; but they did not conic for ward to — give evidence; he also belonged to the Phoenix Fire-office. The Jury. returned a verdict o fAccidental Death. ' Inquests were also held at the other Hospitals and places to which the other dead bodies were carried. -The'eVidente was the same as 'that adduced before I° the. Coroner of Westminster. • the 'three men, be, longing to the Phoenix; who were sent to St. - Tho- Mas's Hospital; are in a'fair way of recovery. Of the 'mangled persons sent to the Hospit;il, the following expired in the ccitirse Of the day: Richard Bird, Coaclnaker; John Sayers, Engineer of the engine 3 Mr. Harris, ot . Hyclesi eet, a young man; abOut 20, and a member *of the Bloolothbry Vtilunteer Corps ; and Mr. James, an At torney ; he had only arrived in town trom Wales, about a week ago, and lodged at the house of Mr: Watkins, Tailor, York-street, Covent-Garden. Among those in a • dangerous state at the Hospitals, are, Peter Fish, - fireman of the- Phcenix Office. •A 'man brought into the Piazza Coffee-house, with his arm burnt, was in • such 'agony, that, - mad.l,Vith pain, lie tore the flesh • down to the wrist. He was tent toßltthotoulew's . 1 - Ic4pital-in a most deplorable SiLitt.' It is somewhat curious as well as fortunate that What was intended for the security of Covent Gar dn Theatre saved the Bedford CA: fee-house from the tate Which destroyed the former. A fire having broken out a short tune ago in a cientleinau's cham ber in that Hotel, it was extinguished with con siderable difficulty, and the proprietors of coVent Garden Theatre, 23 a sectuity of. their property, should any accident of a similar. nature happen in future, caused a party-wall to be built between the two premises. By this, party-wall, which was built to protc& the Playhouse in case of a fire breaking out in the Hotel, the latter, has now been. saved from th e ravages of th e conflagration, to Which the .former fell a prey. Nothing has yet been discovered, that will account for the origin of the dreadtui fire which has pro duced the destrutioupro duced of Covent. Garden Theatre; but one circumstance ought - 40 be mentioned, as it may atiord some clue - to inquiry. It was observed" by the Performers in the Little.Gteen-room, during the whale of the evening, that a remarkable degree of heat prevailed, ition:u.:ll tha t. many of them were actually obliged to qua the place.- This ,peculiar heat was obviously nut the effeCt of any unusual con course of people in the room, and therefore,the cause of it requires investigation. We know, from the best authority, that the in surance for Covent Garden Theatre, and its multi farious and ,valuable contents, hardly exceeds. a fourth part of the property destroyed. The British Fire-Ottioe . does not suifel• at.all by this melancholy event, as we understand that some tiMe ago it bad declined all conneaion with property of that de scription. _ _ _ TAvLon, of the Opera House, has acted in such a _manner respelling the •dreadful calamity at Covent-Garden Theatre, as entitles him- to public resped. As soon as he heard of the melancholy event, he wrote to Mr. GRAHAM, the Magistrate, requesting that that Gentleman would immediately ,see Mr. HARRIS, and tender the Opera House, and every thing belonging to it, for his use, Mr, GRAHAM, of course, lost not a moment in .com mtinicating this liberal offer, and matters were mediately put in train for opening the Opera 'House, in order to give employment and support to the vast number of inferior performers and retainers of the demolished Theatre, most of whom:were, by this lamentable catastrophe, reduced to very great dis tress. - ,'„ MARLBOROUGH-STREET.---A man of the name of Wn. Bembridge was charged with stealing, a trunk, containing apparel ;from Salter's Coffee-house, duritag the fire on Tuesday morning. The prisoner was stopped with the property in Oxiordr-Market, by a constable, on suspicion,, and, on opening the trunk, it was discovered to . belong ; to some person at . the Coffee-house, by some papers: The Owner was traced to be a servant at the Coffe.se-house; and she lost the property whilst in the hurry to get part cif the goods out of the house. The prisoner gave a curious description how he became possessed of the trunk, and latterly said it was given hiin by a wo man of the town, whom he could not ' find. He was remanded tor another examination. - co..i:P - LA01?4,11 4 103vs . , 06 ,destroy ed Drury -lane Theatre was built 1.1.;; by flue 16772; rebailt 104 ; pulied &wit) 1;9 t.; rebuilt 1794.. . . . - .. • poveut.ska l den Theatre was built 1'7.12; chi:e-gel, 1795'; . (Aitipyed by fire.' Spg. ' (40,,,1ipoUse, Rayrmirket, opened 1704 ; Imlrtit - -,I • . L 2. .1. down 1,;7439 ; the foundation of a nev.' o:.n laid 1 7 - .19- . Pantlieon, Oxford -street, opened 17f2 ; cl.l:;vvrt ed to an Opera-house 1784 ; burnt -down i `.-, Astly!s Amphitheatre burnt down Oil thet•lslke of York's birth-night, 1794 5 rebuilt, at 1 . . writ'i; down a second time in 180 . 3. . •:.• ' Royal Ci►Cus des►royed by fire on the Printe or Wales's . Birthday, I 806. • It has been' erroneously surmised that tlu, fire • :7t Covent-Garden Theatre might have been occasiOrYe - 4 by a part, of the wadding from the:. guns discharged in the performance of Pizatro. the truth is, • that - nothing but paper is employed for wadding, and just as inucit i s used as Will serve to keep in the pn,vitti-. ReOple also were . always stationed to obviate a;1 danger upon such occasions. We are much gratified in seeing that the hint which we suggested in our first account of the dread ful conflagrationat Covent-Garden Theatre, has Wen . adopted, and that a subscription has been announced, .by adVertisements, for the relief of the numerous sufferers..by that deplorable catastrophe. One of the greatest losses occasioned by the fatal event at Covent-garden Theatre, tedanse it is of an irreparable nature, is that of the manuscript music. There were original scores. of Flasior“„ rln . sTE, and other celebrated composers, that were never printed, :and of which there are no copies extant. Tilos,. 0, - , HANDEL in particular were composed for the Theatre .in. Lincoln's Inn Fields, and came as heir-looms - Jo the proprietors of the Original patent. • Ntw THEATRE.—The dreadful ealamit* - . Wlita' has.'iaken plflee at Covent-Garden Theatre, reriderVineeessary that the utmost care' glionid tdit'in the constill6tion of new edifice . of the • • same kind, and therefore we readily adopt Ike •lowing hints, which have been suggested on the Ce casion.' In the first plce - the new Theal fc should he 'insulated;, the very 'chief consideration of the Pro prietor should be, thitt no exterior building of any deseriptitm should be attached to it; that in its fornf ation' it should consist of one coinpletc edifice, whe ther square, quadrangular, or circular; as . by that means, in case of the calamity Of fire, the engines would have free and easy lICC3BS to all parts of the exterior added to which; there . sho.4d b e small re . Serithirak.kf water at angles qn the roof, aculated to 'inundate at will, aiid pour their contents wherever - copfbigratinn should pret,ent itself; for' which piaie they should have conannicqtiOn vt'it)i all of the interior the - how. As ti`YiTic size of the -. building, that is best estimated by that of the edi fice just burnt, which was really quite eapaCions enough. Any - thinT smaller [night be disadvan tageous to,the Proprietors; but certainly any thing larger would he' incommodiouS to the Public. The • egress and ingress of. the, Theatre should be I ;ef.. fectly apt ; at all events, the pasages for•veitling the various parts Of the Boxes, Pit, and Galleries, should -be' suffiei6try nnmerons, that, in case of accident oectirling: :iring the performance, the shoUld be enabled to make their escape ' with 'all • the faCility and quiAness possible.— This would at all times be desirable, inasmuch as "speedy W , Ay of getting oticat night is sought for on all occasions by the audience. For the purpose, therefore, of having a safe'and . cOnplcte Theatre, it should stand uneonneded with any other building. And as it is understood that 'already several of the buildings 'surrounding the scite of the late Theatre belong lii 'the Proprietors, we • would suggest the pibstifi etf of an application . to Parliament for th e t • - purchase of the remainder, and so afibrd an oppor . lamity of ereding an edifice on the plan here sub mitted, Which the public health, safety, and conve nience so much require. But the choice o f an Ar chiteEt is the great preliminary question. As a Theatre is a • national concern, and as it is to be hoped that the new one will be constructed in such a manner as to secure it, as far as human caution and skill can afford security, against the peril which has• destroyed the old one, no pitiful consideration • of mere . ceconomy., no partiality, no bias cf friend- Mi l ,lo'Sordid interest, should prevail on this ocea -sibni. "The Atchited seleeted ought to he -a roan of first-rate talents, to whose genius, knowledge, • ability,' and 'experience, the* members of his owu profession look, with reaped, and on whose "pre.ell - the public can, of course, with confidence rely. • . 'A girl of .anout - - 14 'years . -of age, daughter of Thomas Stephens, of Trcthuigey, in St. Aus'tell, was sent by her mottle!, on Twes:l4 • mUrilin4 to milk tha eoWS,' and 'staying 'longer than wa s ne cessary, lier mother went in search o f her; b ut 'IV hilt was her astonislitnen;t when, upon opening'the Statile dopr,' 'she finind - Fa daughter hanging qui!e dead ditlicUrtto :conceive - what Could have tempted thrS'pe'ior yoting•Creature . to commit sd ritile an a6t. 'Tie-Cortint...e's Inquest: produced a ver diet of Insanity.' • Early : y.eterday morning an unfortunate PCCiderit happened llyde Park. A party of the Duke • of tUMI3ERLAND'S Rifle Corps were. firingball, and one of:theitt(a bugle man) was shoi whild'stancing near tatget. The fog, very thick, pre tetttedr the person„ who' fired at 120 yards, frn - in taking aim. The wound is not mortal. ' On Wednesday week a barber; in. Castle. street, Inverness, • for a trifling wager, drank twp . .Euosh . pints of whiskey, which in a.few hours occasion,ed death. Hellas left a wife.. And family. The Duke of BEAUFOI - VeS'-sonS.lnake better 5 mersets than the best tumblers at Sadler's W t ii, s and Lord . HARROWEY is a better ilyaat than a New market jockey. The :Karl of 'STAMFORD'S eldest son was Gtey befOre he was ten years.of ; and the k 4 op of- CLONFERT will be Young as long as • ihe getting of the tolls of .RinglesCross • pike Road, Sussex,.. on Monday last, prodtitcd a 'fa mous competition, the bidders being in number tour ' teen ! The tolls - Were, - in consequence, knocked • down at a very considerable advance on the lust year's letting,